Student-teachers' Learning Outcomes during Science Subject Matter Courses.

• This paper is about a longitudinal study to investigate how student teachers developed understanding of somekey ecological concepts during a teacher education programme. Another aim was to interpret the studentteachers' intentions in respect of the programme and to examine how these intentions influenced their learning.A group of students were followed trough 2.5 years of a teacher education programme. The whole studentgroup (n = between 47 and 60) answered a questionnaire three times. Their understanding of scientificconcepts, relevant to environmental education, was examined. 14 students were interviewed three times abouta newspaper article discussing the use of surplus heat from a crematorium. The students were also asked aboutexpectations of the teaching programme and of learning experiences from their science courses and fromschool practice. It s concluded that many of the student teachers did not develop the conceptual understandingnecessary to be able to engage with the socio-scientific issue presented to them. It also concludes that many ofthe student teachers approach the learning of science content from the perspective of their personal notions ofthe tasks of a primary schoolteacher, which is significantly different from the perspectives underpinning thecurriculum and the intention of teacher educators. The connection between these two conclusions is discussed.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

conceptual understanding

longitudinal srudy

science education

environmental education

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)